Light for christmas trees and the like



LSMRZBU Sept 30 J. JOHNSTON LIGHT FOR CHRISTMAS TREES AND THE LIKE Filed dan. 28 1924 I Am..

Patented Sept.. 3%,

entre@ .TOEN JOHNSTON, F CHICAGO, HLHTOIS.

LIGHT FOB, CHRISTBMSTBEES AND THE lfm.y

Application med. January 28, Serial No. 686,952."v

To all whom it may concern:

it known that I, JOHN JOHNSTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of lllinois, have invented certain new and useul Improvements in Lights for Christmas Trees and the like, of which the following is a specification. This invention relates to improvements 1n l0 lights for Christmas trees and the like, and one of the objects of the invention is to arrange the lights in a manner to produce a desi or ornament adapted to be secured pre erably to the top of the tree or to the l end of a branch of the tree for the purpose of illuminating as well as ornamenting the tree.

A further ob'ect is to provide an improved device o this character having con- 2@ nected therewith through the medium of extended conductors a plurality of additional lamps that may be arranged or festooned about the tree, the conductors having connected therewith a plug, by means of which gli the device may be 4connected with a socket supplied with current from any suitable source. i l 'lo the attainment ot these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful 30 objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combinationl and arrangement of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the accompan ing drawing illustrating this invention, anti' inwhich' Figure 1 is a view in elevation of a light and ornament of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this in- 40- ventiou and showing the same as connectedwith the tip of' one of the branchesnf a tree.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 2 2, Figure 1, and. with parts omitted.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure a is a view similar to Figure 1, partly broken awa and partly in section of a modified form o the invention.

ln the form of the invention as shown in Figure 1, there are provided 'spaced clamping members -l11, which may be constructed of any suitable material and may be of any desired size and conliguration, but they are preferably shaped so as to form -opposed recessed portions 12--13, and which portions are preferably radially disposed so thatwhen the members are assembled with respect to each other, the opposed portions 12 and 13 will be adapted to receive sockets 14.

rIhe members l() and 1l are preferably adapted to be secured together by means of a clamping member or bolt 15 which preferably passes through the center of the mem- Vbers and the fastening device 15 also serves as a means for holding the sockets 14 in position. I

lf desired the sockets may be provided with recesses 16 adapted to receive rojcctions 17 formed on the members 12 an 13.

rIhe sockets 14 are preferably constructed of any suitable insulating material and are each pfiovided with a metal collar or sleeve 18 having internal screw threads adapted to receive the metal threaded extremity 19 of a lamp 20. To this sleeve 18 is connected a conductor 21 and another conductor 22 terminates in a contact 23 within the socket-lll so that when the lamp is placed inthe socket the contact 2l will engage -the Contact 23 as is usual in lamps of this character.

The members 12 and 13 are so shaped that any desired number of these sockets 11i may be secured together so asvto produce an ornamental design and so that the lamps 2U,

which are connected with the res ctive sockets will be arranged in any esired manner.

'lhese lamps 20 are preferably connected in series and current is supplied through the medium oit conductor wires or cords E25.

included in the conductor wires 25 maw' be arranged any desired number oi addi'- tional sockets 2G to receive lamps 27 and the sockets are preferably connected in seri, the wnductors being of such a length that when the ornament 1s secured to a brancher the tree, the lights 27 may he arranged or tooned about the hody` ,of the tree or branches. A plug 28 is connected to the con doctors 25 and this plu is adapted to be inserted in a suitable societ and to which latlil@ ter socket current is supplied from any suitable source, such as a Wall socket or the like. With this improved arrangement it will be manifest that the ornament may be arranged in any position upon the tree While the lights "527 may be arranged as desired.

` Any suitable means may be provided for lsupporting the ornament.. A simple and efficient. means embodies spaced clamping members 39-30, which may be of any desired size and configuration and constructed of any suitable material. The ends of these clamping members 29-30 are respectively secured by suitable fastening means3l-32 to the members 12 and 13, so that the end of a branch 33 of the tree may pass between the members 29-30, after which the supporting members may be secured in clamping relation to the branch in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by means of some suitable flexible fastening device s uch as a Wire 34 or the like, adapted to be Wound about the members 29-30 and also the branch 33;y

Obviously the entire device will. be constructed of some suitable light material wliichmay be supported in proper position by the end of the branch or tree.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, there is' pro-vided an integral construction, in which the body is preferably in the form of an annular member 35, having socketsv 36 connected' therewith, any number of which sockets may be provided according to the design which it is desired to produce. Each of these sockets is provided with a, metal sleeve 37, having threads with which the threaded extremity 38 of the lamp 39 will engage. 'Conductors 40 are provided which co-operate with conductors 41 and connect the sockets 36 in series, the conductor 40 bein connected Witli a metallic sleeve 37, While t ie conductor 41 is connected with the contact 42 in the socket, the connecting portion of the conductors 41 between the sockets being disposed Within the opening of the annular member 35.

Supporting members 43 similarto the members 29-30 are connected with' the member 35 for supporting the ornament upon a tree or branch. The sockets 36 are supplied with current through suitable conductors 44, and with which conductors any number of sockets similar to the sockets 26 may be connected in series.

This construction is adapted to be supported or secured to the branch 33 of the tree inv amanner similar to the form shown in Figure 1, that is b means of a suitable flexible fastening device 45, adapted to be Wrapped` around the members 43 and also the branch 33.

While the preferredv forms of the invention have been herein shown and described it is tobe understood that various changes may bemade in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, Within they scope of the claims, Without departing from the spirit of this invention.

that is claimed as new is l. A light for Christmas trees and the like including a plurality of light sockets secured to a fixed support, conductors connected with the said sockets, additional sockets connected with the said conductors and flexibly suspended thereby from the fixed support and being movable ad-libitum with respect to the said support, a plug to which the conductors are connected, and means for securing the said support upon a tree or the like.

.2. As an article of manufacture a plurality of electric lamp sockets rigidly connected or secured together to produce a fixed design or ornament, additional Ielectric lamp sockets, conductors for supplying current to the sockets, said additional sockets being flexibly supported by the conductors and movable ad-libitum with respect to the first recited sockets to which the said conductors are connected.

3. As an article of manufacture a plurality of electric lamp sockets rigidlyT connected or secured together to produce a fixed design or ornament, additional electric lamp sockets, conductors for supplyin current to the sockets, a plug to Whic the said conductors are connected, the said additional sockets being separate from the first recited sockets and being supported by the said conductors, and a st-andard pendant vfrom the ornament for holding the Same and for detachably securing the said design or ornament to a tree or tli'e like.

4. As an article of manufacture a light-l cited structure toi a tree or support, and a plug to which the conductors are connected.

5. As an article of manufacture a lighting system for trees or the like including a plurality of radially arranged lamps rigidly secured together in fixed relation, conductors for supplying current to the lamps additional lam connected with the sai conductors, said .addi-tional lamps bein sepa-rate and pendant from the first recited lamps supported by the said conductors, and a. plug connected with the said conductors.

6. s an article of manufacture a. lighting system for trees 01- the like including a plurality of radiallyy arranged lamps rigidly secured together in fixed relation, conductors for supplying current to the lamps, additional lamps connected with the said donductors, said additional lamps being 5 separate andpendant from the first recitm lamps, an electric socket plug connected to the ends of the conductors,' and means for detachably securing the structure to a tree or the like and for maintaining the structure in a fixed position with respect to the tree.

lin testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification, on this 26th day of January, A. D. 1924.

JHN JOHNSTON. 

